Circus Days and Nights

Join a circus troupe on the road in a stunning show inspired by Robert Lax's poems. From magical moments to daily struggles, Circus Days and Nights spirits audiences into the extraordinary everyday of a circus performer and beyond to greater questions about life itself.

Written by the legendary composer Philip Glass in collaboration with Cirkus Cirkör, Circus Days and Nights is a boundary-blurring performance that weds the spectacle of the circus with the splendour of the opera. It premiered in May 2021 at Malmö Opera.

Join the Circus!

Robert Lax, Philip Glass and Tilde Björfors have all fallen in love with the circus. Lax left everyday life and traveled around with the Cristiani family. Tilde has dedicated the last 26 years of her life to the circus and Glass was longing and looking for a circus company to compose for.

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Creative Team

The performance is an all-embracing piece of art created by everyone involved - on and behind the stage. 
Music: Philip Glass
Libretto: David Henry Hwang & Tilde Björfors
Based on the poems of Robert Lax
Conductor: Minna Weurlander
Director & Concept:  Tilde Björfors
Set & costume: Magdalena Åberg
Choreography: Simon Wiborn & Methinee Wongtrakoon
Light: Ellen Ruge & Robert Hvenström
Sound: Avgoustos Psillas
Rigging design: Saar Rombout
Circus Riggers: Mathieu Grégoire, Saar Rombout

Cast

Young Robert Lax: Elin Rombo / Margaux de Valensart
Old Robert Lax: Jakob Högström / Anton Ljungqvist
Robert Lax as a child: Methinee Wongtrakoon
Mr Cristiani ringmaster: Simon Wiborn
Mrs Cristiani ringmaster: Karolina Blixt
Mogador eldest son Cristiani, aerial acrobat: Nikolas Pulka
Belmonte, second son, acrobat: Aaron Hakala
Paraito: youngest son, acrobat: Andreas De Ryck
Bruno, former circus star: Lars Johansson Brissman
Julia, sideshow artist: Susanna Stern
Enrico Rastelli, juggler: Peter Åberg
La Louisa, trapeze artist: Pierre Heault
Penelope, aerial acrobat: Bia Pantojo
The Orphan, a lion tamer: Methinee Wongtrakoon

MUSICIANS

Minna Weurlander accordion
Viktor Nordliden cello
Inga Zeppezauer violin,
Blagoj Lamnjov clarinet,
Oscar Fransson trumpet
Martin Jönsson bass trombone
Sigvald Fersum percussion

Malmö Operakör

UNDERSTUDIES

CIircus artists  Hamadi Khemiri, Matias Salmenaho, Joel Roxendal
Circus rigger Matt Horton

Malmö Opera

Assustant Director: Melker Sörensen
Stage Manager: Peter Tyllgren
Technical Stage Manager: Pär Petersson
Producer: Camilla Gustafsson
Orchestra Manager: Martin Brommann
Orchestra Personnel Manager: Kristian Svensson
Managing Music Librarian: Magnus Johansson
Music Librarian: Pontus Hambe Rubin, Benjamin Staern
Orchestra Technicians: Patrick Bongart, Johan Palm
Artist Manager: Elisabeth Boström
Chorys Master/ Conductor: Elena Mitrevska
Vocal Section Administrator: Bo Nordström
Chorus Manager: Magnus Skoog
Musical Preparation: Max Lörstad
Repetiteur: Max Lörstad/Tomas Johnsson
Managing Producer: Ingrid Fransson
Production Coordinator: Hanna Nygren
Language Coach: Timothy Augustin
Prompter: Angelica Larsson Asp
Assistant Artistic Advisor & Subtitles: Tor Billgren
Text Display Operator: Tor Billgren, Boel Adler, Malin Levallius
Head of costume, wig & makeup: Ulrica Lydahl
Buyer/ Costyme Supervisor: Katarina Karlsson
Distresser:  Susanne Nilsson Dahlberg
Wig & Makeup Manager: Johanna Brandt
Wig & Makeup Coordinator: Karin Amasalidis
Running Wardrobe Manager: Christel Rönn
Techincal Director: Fredrik Täck
Head of Stage: Björn Winberg
Scene Shop Manager: Erik Pilesjö
Head of Sound: Svante Axbacke
Head of Lighting: Daniel Bexell
Set Dsign Cooridnator: Paula Sjöblom
Scene Painting Coordinator: Agneta Persson
Carpentry Coordinator: Anders Blomqvist
Upholsterer: Ida Enebro
Blacksmith Coordinator: Petter Ekström Forsberg
Special Effects Designer: Magnus Nilsson
Technical Designer: Anders Turesson
Sound coordinator: Anders Ekstedt
Light Board Operator: Katarina Hansson
Prop Master: Kari Ståbi
Stage Automation Operator: Alexander Olsson
Light Technician: Mats Ödbratt
Streaming Producer: Johan Eklund, Good Film
Livestreaming: Patrick Bongart, Josefin Granqvist, Lars Hallin, Joel Bexelius
Follow Spot Operator: Arash Assadi Khomami, Marta Banal
Stage Technician: Patrick Larsson, Tove Johansson, Erik Nieddu
Marketing Director: Carina Ostrander
Project Manager Marketing: Sigrid Landström Petersen
Press Manager: Torgny Nilsson
Content Manager: Martin Paulsson
Art director: Pia Lindgren
Copy Writer: Sofia Samuelsson
Web Editor: Anna Sigvardsson
Photo: Mats Bäcker (performance), Martin Paulsson (portrait)
Stage director & Artistic advisor: Elisabeth Linton
CEO & Artistic Director: Michael Bojesen

Cirkus Cirkör

Assistant Director: Saara Ahola
Headrigger: Mathieu Grégoire
Truss Construction / Rope Wheel / Rigging Consultation: Mattias Lindström
Shadowplay Concept: Peder Bjurman
Shadowplay Construction; Jollify 4ever, Daniel Cheng
Technical Consultant: Anders Amrén
Manuscript Advisor to Tilde Björfors: Peder Bjurman
Artistic Advisor: Linda Zachrison
Assistant to David Henry Hwang: Ida Esmaeili
Poster Photographer: Karolina Henke
Live Photos: Mats Bäcker
Trailer Filming: Johan Bååth, Johannes Ferm Winkler
Techincal Producer: Jesper Nikolajeff
Coordinator of Circus Technics: Fredrik Deijfen
Marketing & Communications: Henrik Sundin
Creative Producer: Camilla Hammarström 
Head or Touring - Development & Collaboration: Anna Nerman Sylla
Circus Equipment: Jesper Nikolajeff, Bruno Tardat
Producer: Anne Koutonen
Techincal Manager: Ola Fuchs
Head of Arts & Production: Lena Kjellander Stockhaus
Artistic Director: Tilde Björfors
CEO: Elin Norquist